The Birds of Speyside (and beyond!)
NEW! Heatherlea Birding Short Breaks in Scotland FROM ONLY £445
SPECIAL OFFER! Groups of four or more can deduct £50pp from published prices on these dates. Please ring first to confirm availability.
NEW! The Birds of Speyside and beyond – at very affordable prices!
Because busy birders don't always have a full week to spare, Heatherlea are pleased to offer exciting short breaks targetting scotland's key species. Now you can join a Heatherlea holiday from a fully inclusive price of only £445 and enjoy some of the very best birding in Britain!
The Scottish Highlands hold some of Britain's best birding habitats and most sought after species. Our Hotel here in the Cairngorms National Park is ideally placed for your short break, and our crack guiding team are known far and wide for their birding skills.
As usual with Heatherlea, everything is included in the price you pay before you join, so there are no extras. All travel, accommodation and food is included as you relax in our AA three star Small Hotel, enjoy meals prepared by Chefs who have earned two rosettes for good food, and travel in minibuses which are great mobile hides. Packed lunches, weekend transfer to rail or bus links, checklist to use during your holiday, even the loan of top-of-the-range optics, and all at no extra charge. Terrific value!
Above all, your holiday includes the services of at least one of our resident Tour Leader/Guides, a very valuable asset! Much more than a friend to help you identify birds, or a driver to take you to special places, your Tour Leader plans your entire holiday, from briefing on the first evening to round-up on the last. He knows where the birds have been showing, and the best route to maximise your chances, and organises everything to suit wildlife, weather and your birding progress through the holiday. When not leading Heatherlea trips, he is probably still busy birding somewhere around the Highlands! We think you will see far more wildlife with a Heatherlea Tour Leader/Guide than without, and of course you can relax and enjoy your holiday as we do the planning.
Join Heatherlea, your gateway to the wildlife of the Highlands!
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Choose either a three-night break (Sat – Tues)
for only £445
or a four-night break (Tues – Sat)
for only £495
SPECIAL OFFER! Groups of four or more can deduct £50pp from published prices on the dates below. Please ring first to confirm availability.
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OUTLINE ITINERARY
This will change with the seasons, please see detail below for more information.
DAY 1 Sat or Tues
Arrival, welcome, dinner and briefing. Don’t forget our courtesy collection service from Aviemore on Saturday (three night break only).
DAY 2 Sun or Wed
SPECIALITY DAY We begin at local ‘hotspots’ in Caledonian pine forest to see Crested Tit, Scottish (Parrot) Crossbill, Roe Deer and Red Squirrel, before travelling to our own private forested estate for Capercaillie. Osprey will be at traditional sites, and both Red- and Black-throated Diver can be seen in breeding plumage. An early start for Black Grouse will be offered in season.
DAY 3 Mon or Thurs
EAGLE DAY We visit moorland and glen looking for Golden Eagle, and may also venture westwards to find White-tailed Eagle. A range of moorland species on this day might include Peregrine, Ring Ouzel, Raven, Twite and much more.
DAY 4 Tues or Fri
COASTAL DAY A complete contrast as we visit the Moray Coast, where waders, terns, gulls, seaduck, auks, Gannet and a selection of farmland birds may include Corn Bunting, Tree Sparrow, Grey Partridge and Yellowhammer might be found. We also target any available rarities on this day, and in 2011 these included spectacular finds such as King Eider, Surf Scoter and Brunnich's Guillemot.
The three-night break ends with a roundup around 6pm after our return to Mountview Hotel. The four-night break continues with dinner and a roundup later in the evening.
DAY 5 (four night break only) Sat
Breakfast and depart. Don’t forget our courtesy service to transport links in Aviemore.
Choose either a three-night break (Sat – Tues)
for only £445
or a four-night break (Tues – Sat)
for only £495
SPECIAL OFFER! Groups of four or more can deduct £50pp from published prices on the dates below. Please ring first to confirm availability.
| Spring Dates | |||
| 3-day break £445 | 4-day break £495 | ||
| Sat 24 March – Tues 27 March | Tues 27 March – Sat 31 March | ||
| Sat 31 March – Tues 3 April | Tues 3 April - Sat 7 April | ||
| Sat 28 April – Tues 1 May | Tues 1 – Sat 5 May | ||
| Summer/Autumn Dates | |
| 3-day break £445 |
4-day break £495 |
| Sat 21 July – Tues 24 July | Tues 24 July – Sat 28 July |
| Sat 4 Aug – Tues 7 Aug | Tues 7 Aug - Sat 11 Aug |
| Sat 18 Aug – Tues 21 Aug | Tues 21 Aug – Sat 25 Aug |
| Sat 25 Aug – Tues 28 Aug | Tues 28 Aug – Sat 1 Sept |
| Sat 1 Sept – Tues 4 Sept | Tues 4 Sept – Sat 8 Sept |
| Sat 8 Sept – Tues 11 Sept | Tues 11 Sept – Sat 15 Sept |
| Sat 15 Sept – Tues 18 Sept | Tues 18 Sept – Sat 22 Sept |
| Sat 29 Sept – Tues 2 Oct | Tues 2 Oct – Sat 6 Oct |
Outline Itinerary - more information
Please note all itineraries are governed by weather and wildlife considerations, and may vary considerably from our published intentions. For instance in rain, inland birding is simply not likely to be very profitable, though we might include divers and Slavonian Grebe as we head for the coast. Please remember that this is a short break with three days' birding, and options are necessarily restricted. You can reasonably expect 80+ species over the three days, including many of the key specialities, and a host of northern birds which might be difficult to see elsewhere in Britain.
SPECIALITY DAY
This day is firmly focused on the birds which make this wonderful part of the country so special, and we tend to be birding locally, though of course will travel as much as we need to. Springtime is best for Capercaillie, though we can see them anytime. Females with young are usually present in our private estate through summer months, and all birds are more active in autumn. Our record is good, though please note Caper are increasingly rare, and we never disturb the birds just to see them. Crested Tit can be found locally at any time, very readily in spring. Black Grouse can be expected until June, then again sporadically from September. Scottish (Parrot) Crossbill are nomadic, though present throughout the season in most years. Divers are present until late-July most years, and Slavonian later still, though Grebes moult from June onwards. Red Grouse are resident, Osprey are present till mid-September, and our other breeding migrants are usually with us until mid-July. Red Squirrel are found on our Hotel feeders most days, frequently tucking-in before you have finished your own breakfast!
EAGLE DAY
Golden Eagle are our top target on this day, and in suitable weather we will spend most of our time in the moorlands where we can expect sightings. There are spots within a few miles of the Hotel where eagles fly, and if we see Golden Eagle quickly, we may head west to look for White-tailed Eagle. In high summer, we may prefer to head immediately west to look for both species. Raven, Peregrine, Merlin, Twite, Ring Ouzel, Mountain Hare .... there are many possibilities, and the scenery is spectacular. Over 22 seasons, many of our guests tell us that this is the day they were hoping for when they chose to holiday in Scotland.
COASTAL DAY
This day is perhaps the most exciting, as every single minute can hold the unexpected. Spring migration continues till late-May, and by late-July birds are already returning south. In summer we might visit the Gannetry at Troup Head, and the possibility of rarities is ever present. Our best coastal birding is along the Moray coast, but we know quiet and underwatched places on the west coast where waders can be found in bright summer plumage in June, and Black-throated Diver can gather in dozens in September. A great day wherever we take you!
What’s included
- three days birding with Heatherlea, the Scottish mainland’s only five-star wildlife Experience! You will be with one of our renowned guides throughout your days in the field.
- three (or four) nights dinner, bed and breakfast at the famous Mountview Hotel in Nethy Bridge, headquarters of Heatherlea.
- all transport costs including fuel, access to reserves and private estates.
- Heatherlea checklist to record your sightings
- packed lunch for each day in the field.
- complimentary transfers to/from Aviemore transport links on Saturdays
- free loan of top quality Swarovski optics during your stay (subject to availability).
Whats not included
- travel to Nethy Bridge
- personal insurance
- personal expenses including drinks at the bar
- transfers to/from Aviemore transport links on weekdays
Your holiday may run alongside a Heatherlea Full Week Scottish holiday
